Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/507087
ISEA Communiqué • isea.org April/May 2015 3 OPINION I intend to talk to my students at their graduation parties. I will tell them how proud I am of their hard work and efforts in reaching this milestone. I also intend to remind them they were supported by a huge army of education professionals who all wanted them to succeed so that they could move onto the next phase and grow to their full potential. April/May 2015 – Vol. 52, No. 6 The ISEA Communiqué (ISSN 0019-0624) is published seven times a year (monthly except July & August; plus combined in October/ November, December/January, and April/ May) by the Iowa State Education Association, 777 Third St., Des Moines, IA 50309, 515-471-8000 or 1-800-445-9358. $3.87 of membership dues is for a year's subscription; for nonmembers, the annual subscription is $10. Periodical postage is paid at Des Moines and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address corrections to ISEA Membership Records, 777 Third St., Des Moines, IA 50309. Advertising: To advertise, contact Charles Lapham at 515-471-8000 or email clapham@isea.org. ISEA makes no representations regarding advertised products or services that are not endorsed by ISEA or NEA Member Benefits. Duplicate mailings? To stop duplicate mailings to the same household, contact Kimberly Hupp at 515-471-8000 or email khupp@isea.org. President: Tammy Wawro Vice President: Mike Beranek Treasurer: Tom McLaughlin NEA Directors: Ray Feuss, Joshua Brown Executive Director: Mary Jane Cobb Editor: Mike Wiser Editorial Assistant: Charles Lapham Visit us on the Web at isea.org My middle son graduates from high school this spring. My family is happily making plans for his graduation party, sorting through the next phase of his life and finalizing details for college. Like many of you, I have received invitations to graduation parties from former students who are also celebrating this wonderful rite of passage to the next phase in their lives. This spring, my son and his friends join the more than 90 percent of Iowa high school students who will graduate within four years. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Iowa tops the charts in high school graduation. We know this is thanks in large part to the caring adults in our public school buildings and the concerted effort we place on this important step in a young adult's future. Nationally, Iowa ranks number one in graduating our students from high school. The national average is a full 10 points behind, with specific communities and urban centers lagging even further behind. We know the grim statistics facing kids who do not graduate from high school: • More than 60 percent of job opportunities in the skilled labor force require a high school diploma. • A high school dropout will earn $200,000 less than a high school graduate over their lifetime and almost a million dollars less than a college graduate. • In the U.S., high school dropouts commit about 75 percent of crimes. While we have made progress in our communities of color with the percentage of graduating students significantly increasing over the last decade, Asian-American and white students are still far more likely to graduate than African American and Latino students. • The likelihood of being homeless grows exponentially for high school dropouts relative to the rest of the populations. Graduating from high school is a big deal. It takes years of work, focus and effort from education stakeholders to keep Iowa as a national leader in this task. It requires caring, concerned and committed adults in our buildings. We need appealing and relevant courses which keep kids focused and interested in coming to school. Not to mention creative scheduling and a commitment to work with non-traditional family situations, lifestyles and circumstances., And, of course, adequate state funding to ensure all of the hard work and effort can keep Iowa the top spot in graduation rates. We can celebrate this spot because we know it makes a huge difference for the future of our students. We can also get angry because we know the current funding debate puts all of our hard work and efforts at risk. The Legislature's inadequate funding proposal doesn't just affect the current fiscal year. Their inability to look at the larger impact of what their budget proposal does to students is exasperating. We talk about the impact of larger class sizes, fewer course offerings and outdated text books, but it seems to land on deaf ears. What about the long-term effect on our graduation rates? What happens when we start losing kids in high school? Our focus on getting them a four-year degree falls behind due to inadequate funding and we have lost the future for so many. We are talking real lives. We are changing their paths forever. I intend to talk to my students at their graduation parties. I will tell them how proud I am of their hard work and efforts in reaching this milestone. I also intend to remind them they were supported by a huge army of education professionals who all wanted them to succeed so that they could move onto the next phase and grow to their full potential. I am determined to continue our fight in the Legislature. The Republicans blocking adequate education funding for our students must have one or two high school graduates in their midst. Perhaps I will remind them of how many educators it took to help their student(s) graduate? In any case, it is clear that I will not give up. The stakes are too high and we have come too far. I am hopeful you are not too tired. I hope you will continue the fight until we make sure all of our students graduate from high school, all of our classrooms have the proper equipment, and all of our students are able to get the undivided attention they deserve because we are not pulled in a thousand different directions. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr. Seuss. In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of your labor at all of your graduation parties coming up. Please know what a huge impact you have and what a monumental difference you have made in so many lives. It Doesn't End with Graduation by Tammy Wawro, ISEA president, twawro@isea.org - 9 - 9 - 9 Untitled-2 1 11/16/09 7:33:41 PM - 9